Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Pyongyang Friday, to discuss bilateral ties and the DPRK’s efforts of denuclearization.
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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will travel to North Korea next week to discuss the return of the remains of American servicemen missing from the 1950-53 Korean War, the White House announced Tuesday.
The Yonhap News Agency quoted White House spokesperson Dana Perino as saying that Gov. Richardson will visit North Korea with former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi from April 8 to 11.
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The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States will start bilateral talks on establishing diplomatic relations, according to a joint statement released at the end of the current round of six-party talks.
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Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly, Thursday sent a congratulatory message to Hugo Chavez Frias on his reelection as President of Venezuela amid the absolute support and trust of the Venezuelan people.
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A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam is visiting DPRK.
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Venezuelian Foreign Minister Alí Rodríguez Araque: "As we have relations with the United States, we can have them with the two Koreas. Venezuela is a free nation, which can enter into free relations with all the nations in the world."
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The top U.S. envoy in Seoul has expressed serious concerns about the status of products made in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, North Korea, labeling them "poison" to the currently negotiated free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United States, a source said Monday.
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America says they will respond positively to North Korea, but they are the ones who have created unnecessary distractions. The Bush administration should take the first step by proposing direct negotiations with North Korea and alleviating economic sanctions.
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A group of Korean affairs observers on Wednesday called on Americans to try to look at North Korea from its perspective rather than theirs in approaching bilateral issues.
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With controversy arising over U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Alexander Vershbow’s words and deeds, his opinion was printed in the Dec. 26 issue of the Hankyoreh Shinmun.
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On October 6, 1949, China and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations, so Korea became one of the first groups of countries having diplomatic relations with new China.
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Ulrich Niemann, resident representative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) in South Korea, has visited Pyongyang 11 times since October 2003, making it look like an almost bi-monthly routine now.
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met and had a friendly conversation with the DPRK delegation headed by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, on a visit to Venezuela on Oct. 2.
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A DPRK delegation headed by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly, is visiting Cuba.
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The DPRK Red Cross Society Saturday sent a message of sympathy to the U.S.A. Red Cross as regards Hurricane Katrina.
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The visiting Malaysian delegation for friendship and cooperation headed by Yang Wai Wai visited the DPRK-Malaysia Friendship Ri Su Bok Youth Cooperative Farm in Sunchon City of South Phyongan Province Thursday and donated aid materials to it.
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The ruling Uri Party has invited the Workers’ Party of (North) Korea to the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) to be held in Seoul in September next year, party officials said.
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A meeting was held at the Korea-Cuba Friendship Pyongyang Textile Machine Factory on August 4 to celebrate the 79th birthday of Fidel Castro Ruz.
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Charge d’Affaires a.i. Klaus Wendelberger and staff members of the German embassy here helped the Ryang Se Sik-led farm in the farm work on June 13. German guests were briefed on the monument to the field guidance given by leader Kim Jong Il before helping farmers in weeding paddy fields.
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Wlodzimierz Olesik, Polish charge d’affaires ad interim and embassy officials here helped farmers of the DPRK-Poland Friendship Jangsuwon Co-op Farm on the outskirts of Pyongyang in rice-transplantation Thursday.
After looking round the history room of the farm, the guests gave helping hands to the farmers busy with the rice-transplantation.
During break the guests enjoyed an art performance given by kindergarteners there and had conversations with officials of the farm, deepening the (...)
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During the next three months, North Korea will unload its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, removing fuel rods that can be reprocessed into plutonium for more nuclear weapons. Once again, Pyongyang is offering to negotiate a freeze that would prevent further reprocessing, as it did in June, 1994, leading to the Agreed Framework, and as it has repeatedly offered to do in the six-party talks.
By Selig Harrison
This is the good news emerging from my ninth visit to North Korea from April 5 to April (...)
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Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly, who is leading the DPRK delegation, made a speech at the Asia-Africa Summit in Indonesia on April 22.
He said that the Korean people commemorating the golden jubilee of the Bandung Conference recall with deep emotion the historic days when President Kim Il Sung, the father of the nation, and leader Kim Jong Il attended the commemorations of the 10th anniversary of the conference and develop the friendly and (...)
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The U.S. delegation of congressmen led by Curt Weldon, vice-chairman of the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives, left here today after winding up its four-day visit to the DPRK.
During its stay, the delegation met with the DPRK minister of Foreign Affairs and its vice-minister for U.S. affairs and the chief of the Panmunjom mission of the Korean People’s Army. At the meetings they had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the pending issues between the DPRK and (...)
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The South Korean delegation to the ongoing 13th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) here has called for countries to welcome the participation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the forum’s future meetings.
"I firmly believe that the participation of the DPRK in the APPF, and ultimately becoming a member thereof, would be an extremely significant step towards the peaceful resolution of the DPRK’s nuclear issue," Kwon Young Ghil from the South (...)
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Mongolian President N.Bagabandi landed at Sunan international airport on Tuesday morning in Pyongyang, for an official visit at the invitation of Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly.
North Korean state media Rodong Sinmun wrote about Bagabandi’s visit to Pyongyang, evaluating it as "a new chapter in developing bilateral relations. The visit marks an important occasion in enhancing the confidence between the people of the DPRK and Mongolia." (...)
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A Swiss folk handicraft exhibition was opened at the Chollima House of Culture with due ceremony on Monday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic ties between the DPRK and Switzerland.
On display at the exhibition hall are handicraft showing the traditional lifestyle and skill of the Swiss people.
Present at the ceremony were Hong Son Ok, vice-chairperson of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, working people in the city, Alen (...)
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The DPRK and Japan held their working-level talks on the issue of missing Japanese citizens from November 10 to 15 at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang. Both sides discussed pending problems on bilateral relations between the DPRK and Japan.
It was the third round of bilateral working-level talks since the second summit talks between Kim Jong Il and Koizumi Junichiro had been held in May 22 in Pyongyang. The last contact was held in Beijing in August.
The 19-member Japanese delegation headed by (...)
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Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People Assembly, received credentials from Victor Wei, Belgian ambassador e.p. to the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Wednesday.
On hand was Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs. Kim Yong Nam conversed with the ambassador after receiving the credentials.
(KCNA, November 24,2004)
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In connection with the death of Yasser Arafat, president of the State of Palestine, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and head of the Palestine National Authority, on November 11 the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea decided to set the period from Nov.15 to 17 as a mourning period and fly flags at half mast at some institutions in this period.
A close friend of the Korean people, President Yasser Arafat visited the DPRK six (...)
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Ambassador Janchivdorjyn Lomvo and officials of the Mongolian embassy in Pyongyang went to the DPRK-Mongolia Friendship Jongbang Co-operative Farm on Nov. 9 to help its members in farmwork.
They gave helping hands to farmers in carrying sheaves of rice. During break they conversed and sang songs with farmers, deepening the friendship.
The Mongolian ambassador wished the Korean people greater success in their efforts to build a great prosperous powerful nation under the leadership of Kim (...)
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Seven Korean-American organizations and 250 individuals put a full page ad on New York Times (October 25, 2004) in connection with U.S. forein policy on Korean peninsula saying "many Koreans believe that U.S. foreign policy dealing with the Korean peninsula in the past three years is flawed. It is flawed in that it is devoid of consistency, lacks relevant historical perspective, is insensitive to cultural nuances, and is based on an arrogant stance, best described as ’Mighty is Right’" (...)
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Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wu Donghe and staff members of the Chinese embassy here Thursday went to the DPRK-China Friendship Thaekam Cooperative Farm in Sunan District, Pyongyang to help its members in rice harvesting.
During break they conversed with farmers, deepening the friendship. The ambassador said they were pleased to give helping hands to the farm at a time when the 59th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea was being significantly marked. He wished the (...)
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A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry comments the DPRK visit of Bill Rammell, British secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, from September 11 to 14 at the invitation of the DPRK Foreign Ministry.
During its stay the delegation had contacts and meetings with the DPRK side at various levels at which they had an in-depth exchange of views on the issue of bilateral relations, the nuclear issue, the human rights issue and other issues of mutual concern.
There surfaced some differences at (...)
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On July 21, 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004. The U.S. Senate is soon to take up the issue for deliberation. As the human rights situation in North Korea is a well-known fact, there is no doubt that something should be done to improve it. But it should be done with a correct understanding of its causes.
By Lee, Hwal-Woong
Before Korea was liberated in 1945, many patriotic Koreans had been engaged in intrepid armed resistance movements (...)
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Forget the idea that North Korea is a hermit dictatorship, ruled by a mysterious and invisible throwback to Stalinism, who wants nothing to do with other nations, is driving his people into famine and economic collapse and plans to blow up his neighbors even if that means his own destruction.
That’s the old North Korea of a few years ago, or at least a caricature of it. And it formed the basis for the Bush administration’s plan for dealing with the very real threat of North Korea’s nuclear (...)
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Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell is set to become the first British minister to visit North Korea. The historic trip is expected to take place next month.
Mr Rammell told BBC Radio 4’s World At One that North Korea, which set up an embassy in London last year, has wanted a British minister to visit for some time. His trip follows a visit by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to Pyongyang earlier this month.
His visit will not be limited to North Korean capital Pyongyang (...)
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The DPRK government will fulfill its responsibility and mission for global independence and the strengthening and development of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), said the head of the DPRK delegation in his speech at the 14th Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Durban, South Africa, on August 19.
The DPRK government considers it an avowed principle of its foreign policy to consistently maintain the fundamental principle and idea of the NAM. Norms and order governing international (...)
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Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said there will be great economic benefits for North Korea if it abandons its nuclear ambitions. He said there would be a "substantial" increase in trade and other links.
He is going to Pyongyang after talks in Beijing on how to break the deadlock on North Korea’s nuclear programme. Australia is not in formal six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear future but Mr Downer believes it can play a role in trying to solve the impasse. "We (...)
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Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, and Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Fidel Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, on August 11 on his 78th (...)
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Ambassador Andrei Karlov and staff members of the Russian embassy in Pyongyang on June 18 helped members of the DPRK-Russia Friendship Kochang Co-op Farm in Chollima County, South Phyongan Province, in farm work.
The guests helped farmers in weeding on a maize field. During break, the guests conversed and sang songs with farmers, deepening the friendship.
The ambassador said that he was glad to work with farmers at the friendship co-op farm when the 40th anniversary of leader Kim Jong (...)
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Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a one day visit to the DPRK on Saturday 22, to implement the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration and restore the relations of confidence between the two countries.
Koizumi was accompanied by Masaaki Yamazaki, deputy chief Cabinet secretary, Hitoshi Tanaka, deputy minister for Foreign Affairs, Mitoji Yabunaka, chief of the Asia and Oceania Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other suite members. They were greeted at the airport by Kim (...)
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The DPRK and San Marino decided to open diplomatic relations at ambassador level on the basis of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, on May 13, 2004.
(KCNA, May 13, 2004)
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Ireland, which chairs the European Union, will contribute to the development of the relations between the DPRK and the EU. Irish President Mary Mcaleese said this when receiving credentials from new DPRK Ambassador e. p. to the country Ri Yong Ho on Feb. 27.
The president hoped that the Korean people would overcome the temporary difficulties in their economic field and achieve prosperity.
Saying that the two countries have had many things in common historically, he hoped that visits and (...)
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A North Korea-Russia relationship is expected to improved through the exchange of high-level delegations and increased cooperation between them in the educational and cultural fields, said the director of DPRK’s Foreign Affairs Ministry in charge of Russia and the CIS. The chairman of Russia’s Federal Military Committee and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Russia are scheduled to visit the NK this year. Delegations from several DPRK organizations such as the Social Security Office (...)
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